05/16/2012

Learning to Love White Space

Whatever happened to white paper? I must admit that as soon as I got seriously involved in scrapbooking, I lost interest in white. I remember purchasing my first pack of patterned paper and feeling like I discovered a new world! The patterns of the paper became my inspiration...often becoming the basis for my layouts. Many years and oodles of patterned paper stacks later, I am ready to revisit white.

As I was preparing for a recent post about different scrapbooking styles, Discovering Your Scrapbooking Style and Trying on a New One, I realized that the only one of the seven styles I was missing in my reperatoire was Artsy. In my research, I found that the Artsy scrapbooker often starts with white paper and manipulates it with mixed media techniques. Unique looks are accomplished with the addition of paint, or by misting ink over stencils and masks. Interesting layers of patterned paper, embellishments,stitching, washi tape, chipboard and fabric add artistic flare. Photos are usually limited to a few...or just one, and are often manipulated in some way for added interest.

The piece above, entitled "Always", was my first layout with a distinctly Artsy spin to it. I must say it was fun starting with a white textured cardstock...essentially, watercolor paper. The white 12x12 paper presented itself as a blank canvas...it didn't inspire or drive the process in the way that patterned scrapbooking paper does...it was there to receive more than to give.

As I misted and painted and stamped and added layer upon layer, the page took on an organic process that felt more like painting than scrapbooking. -And I loved it! I loved it so much that I wanted to repeat process and share it with you.

I created a mixed media piece entitled "Motherhood" for the annual Mother's Day Flower Show at Featherstone Center for the Arts, and selected a beautiful and touching vintage image of a mother caressing her baby. I played around with it in Photoshop Elements until I got the color and intensity just the way I wanted, then ripped it and inked it after printing...and out came the white paper. Masking is the process of covering the area where you don't want the ink to spray, thereby leaving an imprint of the shape you used for masking. I love these gorgeous paper ferns by Martha Stewart...the perfect background for a piece like this. I wanted to give the alpha stickers that I was intending to use for the title a little more dimension, so I inked them with Tom Holtz's blending tool and Tea Dye Distress Ink. Next, I inked paper ferns and began layering them. Since it was to be for an art show that celebrates flowers, there had to be an abundance. I also added some interest with some very cool papr tape. Next came the metal flourishes and some soft bling for the flower centers. Some of the paper flowers and leaves were inked or otherwise manipulated to give them a more natural or interesting look. And then there it was...the finished piece.

...And somehow it doesn't look white at all!

I hope you let me know what you think about this process (have you rediscovered white?) in the comments section below.

Hugs, Enikö

Comments

Learning to Love White Space

Whatever happened to white paper? I must admit that as soon as I got seriously involved in scrapbooking, I lost interest in white. I remember purchasing my first pack of patterned paper and feeling like I discovered a new world! The patterns of the paper became my inspiration...often becoming the basis for my layouts. Many years and oodles of patterned paper stacks later, I am ready to revisit white.

As I was preparing for a recent post about different scrapbooking styles, Discovering Your Scrapbooking Style and Trying on a New One, I realized that the only one of the seven styles I was missing in my reperatoire was Artsy. In my research, I found that the Artsy scrapbooker often starts with white paper and manipulates it with mixed media techniques. Unique looks are accomplished with the addition of paint, or by misting ink over stencils and masks. Interesting layers of patterned paper, embellishments,stitching, washi tape, chipboard and fabric add artistic flare. Photos are usually limited to a few...or just one, and are often manipulated in some way for added interest.

The piece above, entitled "Always", was my first layout with a distinctly Artsy spin to it. I must say it was fun starting with a white textured cardstock...essentially, watercolor paper. The white 12x12 paper presented itself as a blank canvas...it didn't inspire or drive the process in the way that patterned scrapbooking paper does...it was there to receive more than to give.

As I misted and painted and stamped and added layer upon layer, the page took on an organic process that felt more like painting than scrapbooking. -And I loved it! I loved it so much that I wanted to repeat process and share it with you.

I created a mixed media piece entitled "Motherhood" for the annual Mother's Day Flower Show at Featherstone Center for the Arts, and selected a beautiful and touching vintage image of a mother caressing her baby. I played around with it in Photoshop Elements until I got the color and intensity just the way I wanted, then ripped it and inked it after printing...and out came the white paper. Masking is the process of covering the area where you don't want the ink to spray, thereby leaving an imprint of the shape you used for masking. I love these gorgeous paper ferns by Martha Stewart...the perfect background for a piece like this. I wanted to give the alpha stickers that I was intending to use for the title a little more dimension, so I inked them with Tom Holtz's blending tool and Tea Dye Distress Ink. Next, I inked paper ferns and began layering them. Since it was to be for an art show that celebrates flowers, there had to be an abundance. I also added some interest with some very cool papr tape. Next came the metal flourishes and some soft bling for the flower centers. Some of the paper flowers and leaves were inked or otherwise manipulated to give them a more natural or interesting look. And then there it was...the finished piece.

...And somehow it doesn't look white at all!

I hope you let me know what you think about this process (have you rediscovered white?) in the comments section below.